WASHINGTON (Interstat) — Howard defeated Hampton 27-13 on Saturday in an NCAA Football Championship Division game at Audi Field, riding a productive passing game and a steady defensive effort to a road victory. The Bison, the visiting team, improved to 2-3 this season. The Pirates, playing at home, fell to 1-5. Howard scored 10 points in the first quarter, 3 in the second, 7 in the third and 7 in the fourth. Hampton scored 7 in the first, 3 in the third and 3 in the fourth. The Bison led 10-7 after one quarter, 13-7 at halftime and 20-10 after three quarters before closing out the win. Howard’s victory came after a difficult stretch and gave the Bison a needed result in a long season. Hampton remained in search of consistency after a challenging opening month. The game was played at Audi Field in Washington, D.C., with Howard as the visiting team and Hampton as the home team. The Bison’s offense found enough balance to complement a defense that made plays behind the line of scrimmage.

Ja’Shawn Scroggins directed the Howard offense, completing 23 of 34 passes for 267 yards and one touchdown while adding 16 carries for 64 yards. The 6-foot-3, 190-pound quarterback from Las Vegas, Nev., helped the Bison move the ball through the air and on the ground. Scroggins’ recent outing against Rutgers had been limited to 5-of-14 passing for 38 yards and 18 rushing yards. Against Hampton, he found a rhythm and spread the ball to multiple targets. He finished as the top star for Howard, guiding the Bison through key possessions and helping them answer Hampton’s scoring chances. Scroggins connected on short and intermediate throws, and his running ability added another dimension when plays broke down.

Xavier Brookins led Hampton, completing 13 of 22 passes for 193 yards and one touchdown. The 6-2, 180-pound quarterback connected with several receivers but the Pirates could not match Howard’s scoring pace. Isaiah Smith caught two passes for 39 yards. Chaz Portis had three receptions for 21 yards. Sejhe Jackson added a 15-yard catch. Khaioz Watford recorded a 12-yard reception and one tackle. Jode Morency caught an 11-yard pass. MarShawn Ferguson Jr. had an 11-yard reception and a 9-yard punt return. Hampton’s passing game produced useful plays, but the Pirates struggled to turn those gains into enough points. Brookins found targets underneath and outside, and Hampton’s receivers combined for a handful of productive catches.

Howard’s backfield and receivers contributed across the field. Billy Roberson II ran three times for 2 yards, caught two passes for 62 yards, returned one kickoff for 6 yards and scored a touchdown. Travis Kerney carried five times for 10 yards, caught two passes for 12 yards and scored a touchdown. Eden James rushed 13 times for 44 yards, caught two passes for 24 yards, returned one kickoff and scored a touchdown. Nathanial Clark made five receptions for 41 yards. Semaj Pierre had seven catches for 45 yards. Se’Quan Osborne recorded four receptions for 64 yards. Zaden Jackson added a 19-yard catch. The Bison spread the ball among backs and receivers, and their touchdown production came from multiple sources.

Howard’s defense produced pressure and tackles throughout. Israel Lucas had one tackle, one sack and one quarterback hurry. Aidan Foster recorded five tackles and 1.5 sacks. Kyle Dillon had three tackles and one sack. Ryan Odita and Rodney Roane each finished with one tackle and one sack. Ejike Onuorah contributed one tackle and half a sack. Kaleb Gallop made five tackles. Cameron Demma had five tackles. Joseph Tabe added five tackles. Camren Brown recorded four tackles. Gabe Stephens, J. Augustus Olidge and Reggie Reed Jr. each made three tackles. Ben Chandler IV had two tackles. Masiah Thorne, Glen Vinson III, Julian Green, Nijel Cross, Dre Miller-Ross, Kedrick Green, Jason Seraphin and John Washington III each recorded one tackle. Michael Grandy had one tackle and a punt return. The Bison defense finished with several sacks and hurries, disrupting Hampton’s timing and limiting the Pirates’ chances to sustain drives. The defensive front generated consistent pressure, and the secondary combined for a number of stops. Howard’s linebackers and defensive backs also filled running lanes and limited Hampton’s gains after catches.

Hampton’s defense was led by Cam Sturdifen and Cole Smith, who each made eight tackles. Qwae Willis added seven tackles. Korede Sogbesan and Temond Marcus each had six tackles. Anthony Hightower III recorded six tackles and a 14-yard punt return. Caden Rice finished with four tackles. The Pirates also received tackles from Khaioz Watford. Hampton’s defenders kept the game within reach for much of the afternoon, but Howard’s offense made enough plays to separate itself. The Pirates’ tackling effort was spread across the field, with multiple players reaching at least six stops.

Special teams played a role. Brett Starling made a 28-yard field goal in the first quarter and a 39-yard field goal in the fourth for Hampton. Matt Conord made a 39-yard field goal in the third quarter for Howard. Conord also punted once for 37 yards and made one tackle. Liam Allen IV punted four times for 148 yards. Derrick Miller returned two kickoffs for 45 yards. Antonio Hunter had a 1-yard punt return. Michael Grandy had a punt return for minus-2 yards. Howard also recorded a team punt of 0 yards. The kicking game provided points for both teams, and field position shifted several times.

The scoring sequence included Starling’s 28-yard field goal in the first quarter. Howard answered when Travis Kerney ran left for a 2-yard touchdown. In the second quarter, Eden James scored on a 2-yard run to the left. Howard added to its lead in the third quarter on Conord’s 39-yard field goal. Hampton cut into the margin in the fourth quarter on Starling’s 39-yard field goal. Howard responded with a no-huddle touchdown when Scroggins completed a short pass to the right to Roberson, who caught the ball at the Hampton 45 and went 52 yards for the score. The Bison’s final points helped seal the victory after Hampton had briefly reduced the deficit. Howard’s defense then held off the Pirates down the stretch.

Howard entered after a loss at Rutgers, a loss at Indiana, a home loss to Richmond and a road win at Alabama A&M. The Bison will next visit Penn, host Morehouse College, visit Morgan State, visit North Carolina Central, host South Carolina State, host Delaware State and visit Norfolk State. Hampton entered after a home loss to Campbell, a loss at Norfolk State, a home loss to Bryant, a loss at Maryland and a home win over Virginia Lynchburg. The Pirates will next visit Sacred Heart, host Monmouth, visit Towson, visit Elon, host North Carolina A&T and visit Stony Brook. Howard’s record moved to 2-3, while Hampton’s record dropped to 1-5. Both teams will look to build momentum in their upcoming conference and nonconference matchups.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Howard 37, Hampton 31. Interstat’s ELO system gave Howard a 51.3 percent probability to win. Hampton had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus-9.5. The over/under line was 50.5, and the game’s total score was 40.